Horse: How the Horse Has Shaped Civilizations

By J. Edward Chamberlin

Book Overview

Drawing on archaeology, biology, art, literature, and ethnography, Horse illuminates the relationship between humans and horses throughout history. It shares stories of horses at work, at war, and at play, in paintings, books, and movies, and ponders the intelligence of horses, their skill and strength as well as their grace and beauty.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0974240591
• ISBN13: 9780974240596
• Release Date: February 2006
• Publisher: BlueBridge
• Length: 288 Pages
• Weight: 1.05 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 6.2" x 8.1"

Customer Reviews

The only creatures to appear more often in historical artwork than horses are humans.

The only creatures to appear more often in historical artwork than horses are humans. "Horse: How the Horse Has Shaped Civilizations" is the tale of this beast of burden and how it has shaped the cultural evolution of humanity through the ages, whether through practical use or as a source of inspiration. Veterans of war, stars of rodeos and races, Horses have always been and still are a massive part of society. "Horse: How the Horse Has Shaped Civilizations" is a deftly written look at the creature, a top pick for horse fans and community library collections dedicated to pets and wildlife.

fascinating and magical

This is no straight history of the relationship between mankind and horses. Chamberlin somehow manages to convey the horse spirit in terms both mundane and mythological. One feels the muscled power of the beast, and can both see and hear a breath expelled from velvet nostrils on a cold rural morning. I picked this up in idle curiosity and was smitten with Big Bird. Could not stop turning the pages. I now "get it" - what all those horse lovers are about. Very cool book.

A Love Story . . .

Chamberlin's book describes the deep emotional connections between human beings and horses, which transcend civilizations. His discussion of the historical artifacts and art forms depicting horses reveals that our respect for the horse has existed since long before recorded history, and extensively details the strong positive feelings horses have consistently evoked among 'horse people'. I also particularly enjoyed Chamberlin's selection of historical anecdotes, which included vignettes illustrating Genghis Khan, Napolean and Alexander the Great's enduring relationships with their horses (among others.) As a whole, the book was a charming portrait of how humans have seen and loved horses, which changed and broadened my view of the most important of inter-species relationships. The stories, images and facts related comprise a fascinating whole, one that I plan to revisit in the near future. This is a book that I will read and re-read.

Very Well Written...

This book is the best cultural history of horses and humans from earliest times to the present that I am aware of. I especially liked the passages on horse racing and horse games around the world, from the Scythians to the Sioux and from the ancient Greeks and Romans to the quarter horse races of the Old West. The author makes connections between ancient and modern races, and describes race courses, audiences, and horse breeding techniques around the world over thousands of years. I had no idea that so many cultures played on horseback, from the tournaments of medieval knights and the polo of India's Moguls to the pato of the gauchos in Argentina and the chicken fight of the Navajo. This is both great fun and food for thought!

A Fascinating Book

I thought I knew a great deal about horses and their history until I read this book and now I feel that a wealth of information has been added to my tiny store. This is a fascinating worldview of where horses came from and where and how they traveled, in addition to the relationship between horses and civilizations. Bravo!